A leading Fife councillor has accused the Scottish Government of betraying its principles after it overturned a controversial planning decision.
The operators of the Fife Central Retail Park, Hammerson, has won an appeal to allow it to subdivide the former Homebase complex into five smaller units.
The original planning application had been rejected by members of Fife Council’s central area planning committee in June, claiming that the move could impact on Kirkcaldy town centre, as well as those in Glenrothes and Leven.
However, Hammerson contested the outcome, with a Scottish Government reporter siding with the company and granting permission for the subdivision work to begin.
The decision has incensed councillor Tom Adams, chair of the planning committee, who said that the decision went against the Government’s own policy of supporting local high streets.
“I think it is shocking that the reporter, on behalf of the Scottish Government, has overturned the decision of Fife Council, especially when its policy is one of putting town centres first.
“The Scottish Government should be supporting town centres and it has gone against its own policy.
“The initial decision was taken for all of the right reasons and was well thought out.”
In rejecting Hammerson’s application, councillors stated that they were attempting to halt the decline of Kirkcaldy’s town centre.
With the retail park already one of Fife’s most popular shopping destinations, committee members stated back in June that the high street would be vulnerable to any expansion of its rival, especially if permission was granted for smaller retail spaces.
As well as struggling to compete with the brands already at the retail park, the town’s traditional shopping precinct had been hit by the closure of the Tesco supermarket and other high-profile shops, as well as the subsequent liquidation of BHS.
Mr Adams, a former Kirkcaldy Tesco employee, added: “I have every sympathy with town centre traders.”
